Twenties Girl — Sophie Kinsella
This is my latest read of Sophie Kinsella’s novels that I’m currently obsessing over. Initially, I thought the book wanted to portray the twenty-seven-year-old heroine, then I thought that it focused on the age of the ghost of the great aunt, wants it to be twenty-three. But, eventually, it turned out to the twenties as in era and not the age. The book focuses on how the lead character Lara starts seeing the spirit of her one-hundred-and-five-year-old great aunt Sadie Lancaster and how she manages to cope with her, tries to help her, finally starts loving and admiring her. Aunt Sadie, who lives in a nursing home and about whose life, no one has any clue, dies, and life takes a sudden turn for the entire family because Sadie is determined to find her beloved dragonfly necklace before going to the grave.
Overview
The book starts with a gloomy funeral. Of course, funerals are gloomy but this one aced them all. Not only for the handful of people present but also for the absence of flowers or proper music. And even those who were present wanted to be someplace else and were willing to leave as soon as possible. They had no clue who Aunt Sadie was and they weren’t interested either.
Then, just as the coffin is being taken away, Lara is forced by the Aunt’s ghost to stop the funeral claiming that she was murdered. What follows is a police inquiry, vague and unbelievable statements by Lara, her whole family thinking her to be going insane, and the constant presence of Aunt Sadie’s howl in the life of Lara, nudging her, scolding and annoying her, and asking her to find her necklace indefinitely.
Lara herself was in a heap of problems already. She had a break-up months ago with Josh whom she still patronized. Her friend Natalie was off to Goa on a vacation leaving an unset business and a novice Lara in a lurch. Her business of headhunting was leading nowhere and there was no sign of it improving whatsoever. And on top of it all, comes Aunt Sadie with all her demands and her fantasies and constant nagging.
Aunt Sadie goes hearts over a man, Ed Harrison, and forces Lara to ask him out. She can just scream in people’s ears to make them do what she wants and the result:
- Ed agrees to a date with Lara.
- Ed even agrees to a second date
3. Ex-boyfriend Josh keeps on talking about Lara to his date, Marie.
4. Josh tells Lara that he still loves her.
5. And the list is long, really long.
The end sees Aunt Sadie getting her necklace and the answer to her lifelong question regarding the love of her life; Lara finally having a great business and in a steady relationship with Ed Harrison. Her parents are really proud of her, in fact in awe of her. Uncle Bill gets what he deserves for selling the shitty two coins story when in fact, half a million pounds were running backstage. And Aunt Sadie finally and truly rests in peace.
I liked
The character of Aunt Sadie though irritating in the beginning with constant chivvying and weird demands become more and more lovable with her gestures and her will to do something for Lara.
The nursing home staff where Aunt Sadie lived was really helpful, cheery, and supportive. Things like politely attending to Lara’s incessant requests, always smiling, and trying their best to help the residents are truly moving.
The history of the necklace, its importance, and the love story around it is old-school but timeless. The phrase ‘J’ai peint celui que j’ai voulu peindre’ (I have painted the one I wanted to paint), though cheesy, is beautiful, combined with the fact that Stephen Malory didn’t draw any other portrait in his entire life.
The basic concept of the twenties girl. Lara was forced by Aunt Sadie to take up the twenties’ look during her initial dates with Ed. Aunt Sadie at the age of 105 was always a twenties girl and the connection of so many parts of the plot to the twenties is what I liked very much.
I didn’t like
Uncle Ben, of course, with all his callousness and the two coin theory and his face spread across everything related to the Lingtons Coffee is truly irritating. Of course, that was intentional but still.
Some of the phrases were too repetitive. The parents being really poleaxed, Lara just going on and on about how Josh really loves her, how proud and haughty Sadie seems. It got a little weary after a while.
Bottom Line
People can call Twenties Girl, a ghost story or a family drama but I would like to see it as a way of life. If things go wrong, as they always will, cry a little, jut your chin out, put on a ravishing smile, and keep going. Tally Ho!
Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticised anyway. — Eleanor Roosevelt
